


A Walk Through Hell

by SmoakingGreenArrow



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), olicity - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 21:51:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7378672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmoakingGreenArrow/pseuds/SmoakingGreenArrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver and Felicity wake up on the island with a familiar enemy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Walk Through Hell

Oliver woke up to a clanking noise and a pounding headache. He rolled over and blinked his eyes, trying to make the black spots that were clouding his vision disappear as he noted the cold concrete he was laying on. “Ah, finally! I was wondering when you’d wake up.”

The sound of the familiar voice had Oliver lifting his eyes, but he was still seeing spots. “What did you do to me?”

“I think what you should be asking is…what am I going to do to _her_? The girl with the glasses. _Felicity_.”

“Where is she!?” Oliver tried to grab for Slade’s neck, but he could barely open his fingers. Slade dodged him easily with a laugh. “What did you do to me?” He asked again, trying to unclench his hand from the fist that it was in, but his muscles didn’t seem to be working.

“Oh relax, kid. The drugs will clear your system soon and then you can try to find the girl.”

“Find her?”

Slade pulled Oliver to his feet. “Welcome back to purgatory.”

“No.” His vision cleared more now that his body was upright, and he recognized the cell that he’d locked Slade in. “How did I get here? What did you do with Felicity!?”

“There are more people in the world that want you dead besides me. Shocking to you, I’m sure.” Slade answered sarcastically. “Luckily your girlfriend has been keeping contact with the A.R.G.U.S officers taking care of me here. It made it easy for Mr. Darhk to send for me. He hoped to use me against you. Of course, until you killed him. So I thought it was time for a little reunion. I told you that you were a killer, Queen.”

Oliver lunged for Slade again, and found that his legs weren’t quite working yet. He stumbled, and Slade evaded him effortlessly. “Where is she!?” He seethed, picking his head up enough to glare up at Slade.

“Tied to a tree. Out in the jungle. Hopefully you can find her before any of the animals do. And while you’re finding her…I’ll be finding you.”

“What? Are you insane?”

“Of course I am!” Slade’s loud voice sent a vibration to Oliver’s ears. His ears were still ringing in the silence that followed. “Now go. I’ll see you soon, kid.”

Slade leaned back against the bars of the cell with a wicked smile. Oliver didn’t hesitate. If Felicity was out there, he had to find her. He stumbled out of the holding cell and fell to his knees in the dirt. He took a deep breath, trying to regain control over his mind and body. After a moment, he pushed himself to his feet and kept moving. His eyes took a lot longer to adjust to the darkness than he would have liked, but once they did, he began to run. “Felicity!” He yelled. “Felicity!”

He tried to piece together the words Slade had said. _Damien had freed him. He brought us to the island for this sick game, and probably to kill us. And Felicity, if Slade had been telling the truth, is tied to a tree somewhere on the island._ Oliver knew that Slade would be trying to find him, but he also knew that it wouldn’t matter, Slade would wait until he found Felicity to show himself again.

Running through the island was like riding a bike. Once he felt like the fog of the drugs had lifted enough to have control of his body, his feet easily maneuvered the terrain of the forest, and he ran faster. But he had to rely on his body, because his vision was still blurry. He could tell that whatever he’d been drugged with was still affecting him because the colors of the forest were off; the trees containing a tint of purple and the ground a reddish color.

He continued to call her name, pushing the concern of Slade out of his mind until he found her and they figured out a way to survive this hell. Together.

He stopped at the edge of a boulder, using the slight vantage point to search a wider area of trees. “Felicity!” His eyes fell on a form lying on the ground, and Oliver leapt off of the rock without a second thought, bolting for the body. He nearly slid into it, his knees skimming the ground as he dropped to the figure. It was an A.R.G.U.S. soldier. _Probably the unlucky man who’d been on shift when the ghosts arrived to free Slade._  

By the look and smell of him…he’d been dead for weeks. Oliver’s breath was heavy as he shoved his hands into the guard’s pockets and pulled out his gun as well as a pocket knife. He reached for the ankle gun that he also knew would be on the man. He checked the guns; both loaded. Oliver allowed himself a moment to accept this as a good sign. Obviously Slade was too focused on his plan to unarm the guard he killed. And now Oliver possessed three weapons for himself and Felicity. None of them were arrows, but he knew he could make do with what he had. _As soon as I find her._ He stuck each gun into his waistband, one in the front and one in the back.

Oliver stood up and continued his search. He ran for another ten minutes before he reached the waterfall that had once provided him with the water he needed to survive here. He cupped his hands to his face. “Felicity!” He hollered over the sounds of the rushing water.

He wasn’t sure how he heard her quiet groan over the noise of the waterfall, but he whirled around, searching the darkness. _She’s close_.

Oliver jogged through the darkness and the trees, finally finding her, just as Slade had promised, tied to the base of a large oak. “Felicity.” He whispered now, knowing that now was the time to hide.

Felicity groaned again, “Oliver.”

“Sh, I’m here. I’m here.” He pulled out the pocket knife he’d taken from the guard and started working on the ropes. She was tied around the tree at her chest, waist, and ankles. Once he cut through all the ropes, Felicity slumped into his arms. He knew that whatever drug Slade had used on him, Felicity was probably given it too. “Okay,” he soothed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her along, his eyes scanning the thick forest. “It’s going to take a few minutes, but you’ll feel normal again soon. We still have to move now though, Felicity. Just move your feet, can you do that? You walk and I’ll guide us.”

“Where are we?” She asked, her voice thick and confused. But she listened. Her feet began to move, and Oliver carried the majority of her weight as he navigated them through the jungle.

“Lian Yu.”

“The island?” She asked, her voice rising in panic. “The island where…Slade?”

“Yes,” he breathed back, guiding them along the river, following it to where he knew it would reach the cave he’d found years ago. “Slade is here, and he’s trying to find us.”

“Oh god.”

“It’s okay, Felicity. I’m going to get us out of here. I promise.”

Felicity pulled away, finding her own footing on the ground as the dark spots clouding her vision cleared. She kept her hand in his though, and he led her through the dark and unfamiliar terrain. "How did he get us to Lian Yu?“

"Darhk released him before…everything. And he just waited until the dust settled to make his move, I guess. It doesn’t matter, baby, all that matters is getting you off of this hellish island alive. And I promise that I will.”

His eyes flickered down to her, and she nodded stiffly. “I promise to bring you home alive, too.”

Oliver chuckled, “We’ll take care of each other then.”

“That's sweet, but who will take care of me?” Slade’s voice echoed around the trees and Oliver froze, not able to pinpoint where it had come from. He silently cursed himself, he should have known that Slade wouldn’t really be following him. He cheated even at his own twisted “game”, probably just lying in wait for Oliver to find Felicity here.

Oliver could tell that his voice had originated somewhere close behind them, and he didn’t wait to figure out exactly where. He let go of Felicity’s hand and pushed her forward, “Run!” He shouted.

Felicity obeyed, her feet stumbling over the roots and rocks, but she didn’t stop. She didn’t bother to look back for Oliver, assuming that whatever speed and agility she was showing, he was right behind, capable of going faster.

But _he_ made the mistake of looking behind them, slowing down to see if Slade was behind them. After the fourth or fifth time of checking for Slade, he turned back around to speak to her, and she wasn’t in front of him anymore. “Felicity?” He asked, picking up speed. He listened intently, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to keep her footsteps quiet and that she couldn’t be very far away. He’d just seen her ahead of him.

He jogged a few more feet and pulled both of the guns out, keeping them at his sides.

“I’d drop those if I were you, kid.”

Oliver stopped, raising both guns as he swiveled around, aiming them at the darkness as he scanned the trees.

Slade stepped out with Felicity in front of him, his arms around her, a sword in each hand raised to her neck and across her chest. Oliver turned and pointed both guns at his head. “Let her go.” He demanded. “You don’t have to do this, Slade.”

“I made you a promise!” Slade answered. Oliver kept his guns trained on Slade, wondering if he could make the shot without Felicity getting hurt. With the hold he had on her, there was no way she could make a quick run for it. She’d be running right into the blades of the swords. Even if she elbowed him or kicked his legs, those swords would come down on her. His eyes flickered to meet Felicity’s, and she tried to smile. _How can I get you out of this?_

“Close your eyes Oliver.” She whispered, like she could read his thoughts. “All he wants is for you to see this…don’t give that to him.” Oliver could see the tears on her face, and his vision blurred with his own.

“Slade, I’ll do anything. I’ll give you whatever you want, just don’t hurt-” Oliver’s words were cut short when Slade yelled, his loud scream ringing through the trees as he pulled both swords down across her body, from her neck to her waist. It had happened too fast for him to even consider doing what she told him. Everything seemed to slow as Oliver watched her body jerk, her eyes fluttering closed. Beyond that, the only thing he could register was all of the blood.

Before Felicity could collapse on the ground, Slade raised his foot to her back and shoved.

Oliver only watched for a brief moment as she fell down the cliff, and then he lunged after her. He clumsily dragged himself to the edge of the hill, his feet coming out from under him. He threw himself over the edge and stumbled down, only stopping when he landed painfully on the rocks. He was right at the shore of the river. And he found her immediately, lying on her back in the shallow water.

_No, no, no._

He crawled to her, pulling her body out of the water and clutching her to his chest. He could see the blood that was mixing with the already dark water as he held on to her; the drug in his system making the water and blood look unearthly in their colors.

* * *

Ever since they decided to stay in the city, Oliver and Felicity had been fighting crime together both on and off the streets. During the day, Oliver used his position as Mayor to hold fundraisers, repair buildings and businesses, and save the city. And at night, they hunted down the people who still threatened their home.

Tonight’s adventure had put fear into both of them; a new strand of Vertigo had surfaced. Oliver had learned a little bit about it and was working to get it off the streets as legally as he could. But tonight had required a green hood.

“What do you think he’s dreaming about?” She murmured from her place beside him.

Diggle hesitated, “Has he told you about this new version of Vertigo?” He asked.

She looked up from Oliver’s face to look at her friend, her eyes narrowing, “No. He’s been trying to handle it as Mayor, not as The Green Arrow. But he suited up tonight after a fifteen year old boy died of an overdose. That’s why I called you…clearly this strand is even more dangerous than the ones before. And I don’t know exactly how he got injected. I found him like this.”

“Oliver has been filling me in on some of the stuff going on here…one of those things being Vertigo resurfacing.”

Her eyes narrowed even more, “Why would he tell you about it and not me?”

Diggle sighed, “Because, Felicity, Oliver knew that it was very possible that he’d have a run in with the drug. He didn’t want you to worry.”

Felicity’s eyes flickered back down to Oliver, “What is it doing to him?” She whispered.

_He looks so peaceful_. It was the only thought that was keeping her from freaking out. He looked completely calm. His face was clear, not even a wrinkled eyebrow. _Even when he_ sleeps _, that furrow is in his eyebrow._ But it was gone now. He suddenly didn’t look as peaceful as she had thought. He almost looked…dead. _But he’s alive_. “Dig…what’s happening to him?”

“Vertigo showed you your worst fear. But the new strand, it makes you _live_ it.”

Felicity hesitated, “Yeah, I know. The vivid hallucinations?”

“It’s not just a hallucination, baby girl. Oliver…when he wakes up…he’s going to think it was real. He told me that this new Vertigo causes a state of psychosis that is so real, so vivid, that the fear can kill you.”

Felicity blinked, not wanting to believe that, “But…he looks perfectly relaxed.”

“Felicity…that’s because…the other thing Oliver told me, I mean…”

“Tell me.” She demanded.

“He’s paralyzed with the fear.”

Felicity blinked back tears, not wanting to imagine all of the nightmares a man like Oliver could be having. Someone who has been through the things he had been through…seen the things he had seen. _His mind must be full of unspeakable horrors to use against him_. She shook her head, trying to clear it. “What can we do?” She asked, looking up at their partner, who she knew was just as worried as she was.

“We’ve done everything we can. Whatever his worst nightmare is…it’s so real to him that his body just shut down. But I believe he’ll pull through this, Felicity. He’s stronger than he thinks he is.”

Felicity tapped her foot as she sat on the coffee table in front of Oliver. Without another thought, she reached out and touched his hand. “Oh god,” she forced herself not to pull her hand away from his ice cold skin. “He’s freezing.” Instead, she reached with her free hand and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch. Lying it over him, she lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed his fingers. “Come on, Oliver. Wake up. Come back to me.”

Diggle sighed, “Felicity, why don’t you make some tea, or maybe soup, something to warm his body when he wakes up.”

Felicity hesitated while she watched Oliver’s peaceful form, “Yeah, okay.” She agreed, not wanting to think about what kind of hell his mind was taking him through and needing something else to do.

She sighed as she retreated to the kitchen area of the loft, grateful that she could still see him and Diggle from the open area. She filled the teapot with water and put it on the stove, focusing on her small task of being helpful rather than wallowing in helplessness.

Felicity pulled three mugs from the cabinet, but struggled to reach the third. It was wedged in the back, and usually Oliver saved her from the struggle and pulled it down for her before she hurt herself. _But Oliver is sick. Very, very sick._

Her fingers grazed the handle of the mug, and it fell from the shelf, crashing to the floor. She didn’t have the reflexes to stop it, so she found herself just watching. And out of the corner of her eye she saw Diggle’s head snap up at the loud crash.

And Oliver’s hand fly out and grab his neck.

Diggle’s eyes moved from Felicity down to Oliver and he gently tried to remove Oliver’s grip on his neck. “Oliver,” he choked out.

Felicity stood frozen in the kitchen.

“Where is he?” She heard Oliver growl. She took a step forward, but Diggle raised his hand to stop her, probably not wanting to overwhelm Oliver. Oliver released his grip on Dig’s neck. “Where is he?” He asked again, his voice just as low and terrifying as before.

“Where is who?” Diggle asked, rubbing his neck.

“ _Slade_. He killed her….she’s dead, John.” Oliver answered. Diggle looked up at Felicity, who was already making her way to the couch. When she reached him, she could see that his eyes were closed, tears streaming over his cheeks. “He killed Felicity.” Oliver whispered.

Felicity dropped to her knees and held his face between her hands, “Hey, I’m right here. Oliver, I’m right here.” She expected his eyes to snap open, to see relief flood his face. But he opened his eyes and his gaze drifted slowly to hers. He looked at her like she wasn’t even real; like he didn’t believe what he was seeing. “I love you.” She mumbled, wiping his tears away and leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” she mumbled into his ear between kisses.

It took him a moment to react, but she finally felt his arms wind around her and his nose drop to her hair. “Smells like it’s really you.”

She laughed a single note, realizing that her eyes were brimming with tears. “It is me.” She whispered, hiding her face into the crook his neck.

“Diggle?” Oliver asked over her head. Felicity tried to sit up to look at Dig too, but Oliver gently resisted, keeping her cradled in his arms. She had no objections, so she kept her head peacefully on his chest and raised her eyes to look at John.

“Hey, man.” He smiled slightly, his eyes glancing between them, “Glad you’re back.”

“What happened?” He asked hesitantly. Thanks to Dig’s run down of Vertigo, Felicity could tell that he was still unsure of what to believe. If she was in his arms right now, and he _still_ wasn’t positive that she was alive, that she hadn’t been killed by Slade, then it must have been a very real dream.

“You went off chasing Vertigo. One of the guys injected you, we assume, and Felicity called me for help. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I remember leaving the bunker…telling Felicity I’d be back later.”

Diggle sighed, rubbing his neck, “Yeah, the Vertigo messes with your head to make the hallucination as vivid as possible. You probably won’t remember anything past leaving the bunker without some serious meditation.”

Oliver nodded, “Sorry…” He mumbled, “About that.” He gestured down to Dig’s neck.

“It’s okay, man. Look, I don’t mind staying here tonight if you need anything.”

Oliver hesitated, and Felicity answered before he could. “It’s all right, Dig. I’ll take care of him.” Diggle nodded like he’d expected this, and she felt Oliver release a breathe of relief. “That must’ve been some nightmare.” She said quietly. Oliver’s eyes fell to her, and he nodded slowly. The pain in his eyes broke her heart, and she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to hear the story.

They sat and had tea while trying to make light conversation about the city, Oliver’s experiences as Mayor, Lyla and Sara, and of course Thea. But they all knew that Oliver was still affected by whatever happened to him. His eyes kept flickering to Felicity as they spoke, and she tried to offer him reassuring smiles.

After a while, Diggle decided to head home to his family, so they said their goodbyes, and then Felicity helped him up the stairs. Apparently he’d been expecting her to tuck him into the guest bedroom, because when they reached the doorway of the master bedroom, her bedroom, _their_ bedroom…he removed his arm from her shoulders. “Felicity…” he started.

She shook her head before he could continue, taking his hand between both of hers and pulling him gently into the room. He sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh as he watched her. She didn’t bother being modest, removing her shirt, and then her skirt, and opening a dresser drawer. She pulled out one of the flannels he’d left, and tossed it on without buttoning it.

Felicity turned back around and hesitated, the shirt falling at mid-thigh and a slight view of her white panties and bra showing. She was about to make a joke about him sleeping in his green leather pants when she noticed him watching her, almost analyzing.

He had that look on his face again, like he couldn’t decide if this was real or not. “Hey,” she murmured, stepping between his legs. She placed her hands on his neck, and he lifted his head to look up at her. “You’re safe.” She promised.

“It’s not my safety that I was afraid for.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she put his words together; the reason he kept throwing her glances while they talked and drank tea, why he’d only trusted John to tell him what was going on, the things he’d said when he’d first woken up, the way he was looking at her like he couldn’t quite believe his own eyes. “What you saw…it was about me?”

He nodded slowly. “Vertigo makes you live your worst fear. Mine is losing you. Not being able to save you. I woke up as soon as that nightmare came true.” His voice was haunted, and Felicity shivered. For each scar that covered his body, it seemed as if he had a million more on the inside.

And nights like this didn’t do him any favors.

She needed to help him. She needed to take some of that pain away. If she could make him forget, at least for a while, what it felt like to have his worst fear come true then she would do it. _Not that it would be a favor._ She knew she’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t still want Oliver.

Felicity leaned down, skimming her lips through his hair, over his ear, breathing past his cheek and his neck. She dropped one kiss to the corner of his jaw, and then her lips slid up his skin until they gently met his.

He gripped her hips, pulling her closer. She opened her mouth and ran her tongue across his bottom lip, but he didn’t open his mouth in response like he usually did. Instead he pulled away. “You don’t have to,” he said, a little breathless.

“I know,” she answered, pressing a kiss to his temple and lowering herself onto his lap. “I want to.”

“Felicity, please. I’m okay.” He assured, but didn’t stop her from straddling his lap. Instead, his hands slipped into her shirt, _his_ shirt. “We don’t have to do this. I’ll be happy just to hold you. To know that you’re sleeping beside me…safe.”

She smiled, her fingers combing through his hair, “I know that, too. Which is why I love you.” She peppered his cheek with kisses, “And I want to,” she whispered, letting her lips skim across his cheek until she reached his ear. And then she said lowly, “So tell me that you do, too.”

She heard him groan in response. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he twisted them around so that her back was on the bed and he hovered over her. Oliver kept himself suspended above her with one arm while he pulled off the flannel she wore. While he did that, she took care of his pants and boxers. Once he was naked and between her legs, he hesitated. “You’re sure?” He asked once more.

In response, Felicity lifted her hips, moaning breathlessly when he rubbed against her center, exactly where she needed him to be. She reached down and pulled her underwear to her ankles, kicking them away. She couldn’t ever remember needing him more.

It was almost painful to have him so close, but to not have the connection that she desperately needed from him. And she knew it was only him. She realized with that new sensation, that moment of agony in their separation, that she would never feel that way for someone else. She would never ache for someone like she did for him. She wasn’t sure how she’d managed to bottle up that desire for the past few months, but it was bursting free now.

It put butterflies in her stomach and fire in her soul.

She realized that he was still waiting for some kind of verbal green light, and by the look in his eyes, he was feeling the same moment that she was. So she wrapped her legs around his waist and choked out, “I need you, Oliver.” _Now_.

He grunted softly when she used her legs to pull his hips closer to hers. “I can’t lose you.” He said seriously, his eyes boring into hers and his breathing heavy. She held his face between her hands, pulling him toward her to kiss him. “I love you,” he groaned into her mouth, pushing himself inside of her in the same breath.

She knew that she needed to hear about his nightmare someday, and that he probably needed to talk about it if either of them were ever going to move on. But moving on was the last thing on her mind as her body relaxed in ecstasy and she finally felt the euphoria of their sex; that feeling of being whole and completely connected to him. She’d been depriving herself of it for too long. It seemed unimaginable to her that she let herself forget this feeling, the magic that sparked between them whenever they were together in this way.

Tonight wasn’t for moving on. Tonight was for holding on.


End file.
